Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Den Helder and Rotterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Den Helder: $2,004 a month against $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Den Helder
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Den Helder Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam Living Index

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Den Helder

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,004

/mo nomad

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Den Helder and in Rotterdam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Den Helder and in Rotterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,004 per month in Den Helder vs $3,032 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Den Helder $2,004
Rotterdam $3,032

A couple spends around $3,055 per month in Den Helder vs $4,227 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Den Helder $3,055
Rotterdam $4,227

A family of three spends $4,107 per month in Den Helder vs $5,422 in Rotterdam, rent included.

Den Helder $4,107
Rotterdam $5,422

Den Helder is about 34% cheaper than Rotterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Den Helder and Rotterdam sit above the global median – Den Helder by 48%, Rotterdam by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 €17.45

$20.82 €18.52

-5.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 €46.35

$84.4 €75.1

-38.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 €7.50

$13.49 €12.00

-37.51%

Cappuccino

$3.75 €3.33

$4.42 €3.93

-15.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.66

$3.81 €3.39

-21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.55

$3.46 €3.07

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 €4.56

$7.08 €6.29

-27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 €4.39

$6.01 €5.35

-17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.48 €1.31

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.37 €2.11

-48.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 €0.76

$2.86 €2.54

-69.93%

Eggs

$4.25 €3.78

$5.38 €4.78

-21.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 €8.89

$11.78 €10.48

-15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 €12.54

$13.62 €12.11

3.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 €13.94

$18.76 €16.69

-16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$3.32 €2.96

-21.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.60 €2.31

-23.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.52 €2.24

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 €3.79

$3.37 €3.00

26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.70 €1.51

-18.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.52 €1.35

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.48 €1.32

-35.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$1.26 €1.12

-40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 €11.95

$14.24 €12.67

-5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.27

$6.55 €5.82

7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.48 €1.32

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.60 €2.31

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$9.32 €8.29

$4.39 €3.90

112.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 €137

$109 €97.1

40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 €3.44

$4.51 €4.01

-14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 €2.82

$3.37 €3.00

-5.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.72 €32.66

$65.8 €58.6

-44.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.11

$2.64 €2.34

-9.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.8K €36.3K

$40.9K €36.3K

-0.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.7K €34.4K

$38.8K €34.5K

-0.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$204 €181

$300 €267

-32.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.52 €13.81

$21.55 €19.17

-27.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 €17.59

$53.7 €47.74

-63.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.92 €21.27

$48.47 €43.11

-50.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 €17.44

$28.57 €25.41

-31.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 €12.66

$15.60 €13.88

-8.78%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,738 €1,546

$2,658 €2,364

-34.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.8K

$12.8K €11.4K

4.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$92.2 €82.0

22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.62 €42.35

$38.50 €34.25

23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €104

$109 €97.0

7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$141 €125

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 €796

$1,966 €1,748

-54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €658

$1,577 €1,402

-53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 €1,597

$3,071 €2,732

-41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 €1,195

$2,238 €1,991

-39.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 €2,597

$5,891 €5,240

-50.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 €3,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,419 €2,152

$4,107 €3,653

-41.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.49

-19.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Den Helder: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rotterdam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Den Helder

$740 36.9%

Rotterdam

$1.6K 52% 113% $837

Groceries & Markets

Den Helder

$288 14.4%

Rotterdam

$345 11.4% 20% $58

Eating Out

Den Helder

$286 14.3%

Rotterdam

$336 11.1% 17.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Den Helder

$239 11.9%

Rotterdam

$375 12.4% 57% $136

Getting Around

Den Helder

$211 10.5%

Rotterdam

$148 4.9% 29.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Den Helder

$188 9.4%

Rotterdam

$171 5.7% 8.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Den Helder

$52 2.6%

Rotterdam

$80 2.6% 52.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $895 in Den Helder versus $1,966 in Rotterdam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 70% higher in Rotterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Den Helder versus $84.0 in Rotterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $345 – making Den Helder the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Den Helder

🇳🇱 Rotterdam

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

Same time as Den Helder

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,296

572,392

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Den Helder vs Rotterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rotterdam is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Den Helder and $4,548 in Rotterdam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Den Helder, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Den Helder and $84.0 in Rotterdam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,004 in Den Helder and $3,032 in Rotterdam. That's a gap of about 51%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Den Helder, where all-in costs run around $2,004, than in Rotterdam at $3,032. In Den Helder it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rotterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Den Helder – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Den Helder. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.